A Needs Assessment Study of the Educational Technology Needs of English Literacy Students and Teachers in Qatar and the U.S.

Abstract

This paper presents the results of a needs assessment study that was conducted to investigate the educational technology needs of several schools and literacy programs located in two different countries, Qatar and the United States. Relying on observations, semi-structured interviews, and focus groups with students and their teachers, this paper documents and analyzes the variety of educational technology needs and preferences of five organizations that span three different populations of English language learners: children with special needs/learning disabilities, postsecondary English as a Foreign Language students, and adult learners. Results indicate that among all three populations, educational technology has the potential to encourage student interaction with educational material as well as facilitate class planning and content creation for teachers. Furthermore, our needs assessment results provide suggestions for future educational technology developed for these populations.